Much of Harrry's journey throughout the Harry Potter series relied on prophecies, but while most fans know about Professor Trelawney's first prophecy regarding Harry and Voldemort, her second prophecy in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is just as important. Professor Trelawney was never given very much respect in the Harry Potter series, with Harry and Ron jokingly making up nonsense for their divination homework and Hermione outright disrespecting her, but she had a very important role to play. Despite the fact that even the professors mocked her, Professor Dumbledore kept Sybill Trelawney around because she occasionally gave accurate, crucial prophecies.
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While many of Professor Trelawney's predictions in Harry Potter came true, there is no doubt that the prophecies she delivered unknowingly were correct. When she was interviewing for her position at Hogwarts, Trelawney fell into a trance and made a prophecy that a boy was coming with the power to defeat Voldemort. That prophecy came to define Harry and Voldemort's destinies, and in the end, it was proven correct. During Harry’s third year, Trelawney went into a similar trance to recite another prophecy. Trelawney's second great prophecy turned out to be just as accurate as her first, but it requires more dissection to be fully understood.
Professor Trelawney's Second Prophecy Predicted The Return Of Peter Pettigrew
Professor Trelawney's second prophecy, depicted in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, described Peter Pettigrew's return, escape, and reunion with Voldemort with a sense of fatalism.
"He will return tonight. Tonight, when the clock strikes twelve, the servant shall break free. He and his Master shall be reunited. It cannot be prevented."
Per her prophecy, "the servant" would return, escape at midnight, and return to "his Master." Harry thought these words meant Sirius Black would return and seek out Lord Voldemort. Arthur Weasley had previously referred to Sirius Black as a "loyal servant" to Voldemort, which helped Harry construct his inaccurate understanding of the prophecy. This made Harry more resistant to the truth when he finally met Sirius face-to-face, almost trying to kill him.
The prophecy did turn out to be true, as the servant — Peter Pettigrew — did return, break free, and reunite with Voldemort. This led to Voldemort (whose mannerisms Ralph Fiennes perfectly captured) rising to power again. However, the most interesting part of the prophecy in the film was its last line, as it suggested that nothing Harry could've done would have stopped Peter from escaping. This might have given Harry some relief, but it also established that Peter's escape was a matter of fate, rather than a choice that Harry made, taking away some of his personal agency.
The Prophecy Was Different In The Book
Professor Trelawney's second prophecy was very different in the book, as it had implications through Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and didn’t state that Peter Pettigrew’s escape was inevitable. While the general concept of the servant and master — and Harry's misinterpretation of them — was the same as the movie, the book prophecy included the fact that Pettigrew's escape would directly help Voldemort regain his body, as well as foreshadowing how terrible the Second Wizarding World would be.
"It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight... the servant will break free and set out to re his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight... before midnight... the servant... will set out... to re... his master."
This tied Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban into the latter half of the series more clearly, while also providing Harry and Dumbledore with a warning of what was to come in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Because the book prophecy didn't specify that Pettigrew's escape "cannot be prevented," Harry's choice to keep Peter alive was far more significant. Harry even told Dumbledore outright that he believed his choice "makes it my fault if Voldemort comes back." While Dumbledore told Harry that he made the right choice and that it created a life debt — which led to Pettigrew’s eventual death— Harry's actions still helped Voldemort rise. Through Professor Trelawney's second prophecy, Prisoner of Azkaban is connected more concretely to the fight against Voldemort while also providing Harry with a better reason to devote himself to Voldemort's destruction through the rest of the Harry Potter series.
